Method of producing transparent camphor in shaped pieces.



OTTO RUDOLF DANIEL WIT'I, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

METHOD DIE PRODUCING TRANSPARENT GAMPHOR IN SHAPED PIECES.

oeasio.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, 1911.

Application filed December 17, 1910. Serial No. 597,942.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'r'ro RUnoLr DAN- IEL Wrrr, Ph. D., a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Hamburg, in the German Empire, have invented a new -anduseful Method of Producing Transparent Camphor in Shaped Pieces, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention refers to a method of producing transparent blocks, plates, bars or otherwise shaped pieces of granular, pulverulent or crystalline camphor, and this method is carried out by pressing the camphor into shape in vacuum or in rarefied air.

I am well aware, that it is known to bring camphor into shape so as to produce transparent solid bodies by slow sublimation, however this manner of treating camphor is attended by a considerable amount of waste material and requires a long space of time. It is also known to press camphor into blocks of special shape, however these blocks have a milky, dull or opaque appearance or they are interspersed with such opaque parts. Now I have found out, that these drawbacks are due to air being inclosed between the particles of the camphor and that the phenomena spoken of will not arise if the pressing is carried on in vacuum.

Any kind of press may be used to carry out this method as long as means are provided for to draw off air from the space, in which the pressing operation is efiected. Thus presses may be used, in which the press-members (head and ram) are suitably connected with a suction device or pump, or the. presses may be mounted within a space from which air is constantly sucked away or which by other means is maintained at less than atmospheric pressure.

The temperature used may be any temperature below the melting point of the cam- .phor, and the pressure is that ordinarily used in compressing camphor by other, old methods, that is, must be suiiicient to cause the camphor particles to adhere. The longer time the camphor issubjected to pressure the less will this pressure have to be, and it may vary from 50 kg. per sq. cm. upward. The vacuum ranges from 600 mms. of mercury, at which there is a distinct transparency, up to complete vacuum.

I claim: 7 Method of producing transparent camphor in any desired shape consisting in pressing the camphor in vacuum of a suitable degree.

OTTO RUDOLF DANIEL WITT. Witnesses:

MAX KAEMPFF, ERNEST H. L. MUMMENHOFF. 

